During use, ground engaging equipment, such as excavating equipment, are subjected to abrasive and impact forces that can cause damage or wear to the structural material of the bucket. U.S. Pat. No. 8,336,233 teaches a wear plate assembly for attachment to the back of an excavator bucket to protect the outer surface from abrasion.
Referring to FIG. 1, a typical excavator bucket 100 is shown without any wear strips. In use, the exterior surface 102 of excavator bucket 100 comes into contact with rocks, soil, and other materials that may damage or cause wear to excavator bucket 100. In order to extend the life of excavator bucket 100, wear strips 104 may be added to exterior surface 102, as shown in FIG. 2. These wear strips 104 are typically attached in a permanent manner that is not intended to be removed, such as by welding strip 104 to excavator bucket 100.